Behenchara

Artwork by Misha I am eight when my mother signs me up for swimming classes. In a dingy corner of Zainab Market, she holds up a navy blue one piece swimsuit to my back. I carry it in a transparent plastic bag, with a matching set of goggles and a swimming cap. The girls’ changing […]

 Cover Art by Alina Tosif Trigger warning for some mentions of troubled eating and body shaming.  I feel like if society didn’t scrutinize everything I put on my body, my relationship with it would have been completely different. From a young age, I was continuously fed subtle messaging that said “girls who wore the hijab

Artwork by Hiba Asfaque 2010: “Oho, fashion ke maar!” Papa says when I step outside my room, ready for Eid dinner. Ammi said it was okay to wear the gorgeous plum coat with a tunic she got made for a cousin’s wedding. For once, I can wear red lipstick and not get scolded that it’s

 Artwork by Marium Taufeeq By Nida Hasan Short Bio: The author is the Lifestyle Co-Editor for Brown Girl Magazine, New York and an aspiring entrepreneur. You’ll forever find her in search of a good story, a good meal and a great outfit. How many Pakistani celebrities have you heard saying, “Of course I believe men

Cover Art by Alina Tosif In “Pakeezah”, Meena Kumari wears an orange chiffon frock that drapes like a waterfall, covering her from her decollete down to almost her ankles, giving a slight peak into her white churidar pyjamas. The silhouette and shade of the dress almost mimic the lehengas brides wear on their weddings, a

 Artwork by Mashaal Sajid Bio: A recent business grad, Maria is currently struggling between “practical” career choices and her passion for art. Her core causes include sustainability and tech solutions to bring positive societal change. She is (an infrequent) book blogger, (an occasional) writer, and (amateur) nature photographer. For something seemingly as basic as fabric

  Artwork by Mashaal Sajid There was a distinct moment of my life when I graduated from skirts and shorts to shalwar kameez. I remember my mother was annoyed at the expenditure. “Zainab Market say 200 ki shorts aur shirts mil jati thi. Ab kapra alag, lace alag, silai alag, aur phir matching dupattay bhi chahiyay

Cover art by Fartashia There’s nothing I can wear that will make it better. I’ve tried everything. Jeans. Pants. Salwar. Lehengas. Chadars. Dupattas that are little decorative scraps of fabric. Dupattas so heavy they could drown me. And still.  It’s not what I wear. It’s the way I carry myself – how obscene, how vulgar,

Artwork by Maham Fatima by Sana Tahir Whimsical ruffles of organza detailed around sprawling trains of embellished fabric, parallel lines of dotted mukesh running down the length of dupattas pinned at the crown, dainty flower motifs embroidered with resham thread, leafs of gotta seamlessly stitched onto luxurious silks, heirloom pieces with silver and gold threaded

Cover Art by Misha Farhana By Eman Ahmad   Last Sunday when I was helping my mother clean the store room, I came across several photo albums carefully curated over the years. The albums were nothing like we have these days, those hardback thick books with digitally printed pictures on them. They were rectangular paperback diaries,